Mysterious Hero
by Anti-Twilight Forever
Summary: *takes place before the game's plot* A short one-shot about a young girl, and a thief who helped her out.


**Attention Everyone! I am pleased to announce that I'm… TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH **_**NI NO KUNI!**_

***audience cheers***

**And now for my first attempt at writing a one-shot, starring Esther and Swaine- and no, it's not going to be a 'Swesther' fic (though I'll write one of those someday *wink wink*). **

**This actually takes place pre-game. May contain spoilers so if you guys haven't gotten to the part where you're finally able to mend Marcassin's heart, you may want to turn back. **

_**Ni No Kuni**_** is property of Level-5 and Studio Ghibli. **

***0***

It was a warm evening in the city of Al-Mamoon, as a young 7-year-old girl sat by the milk fountains, brushing the hair of her doll. Her mother was inside cooking dinner, while her father had been called by Queen Lowlah for a meeting at the palace. It seemed to the girl that her father, the Great Sage Rashaad, had been spending a lot of time at the castle- being so young, she didn't know these meetings were held in secret, to discuss the matters of the Dark Djinn, Shadar, whom almost everyone in every land seemed to be afraid of.

Not the young girl, though. Not Esther. Despite her young age, the girl was quite courageous, even started training her familiar, Gogo, to fight. "You're too young to be learning how to fight, dear." Her mother had told her, though Esther believed that, with the Dark Djinn causing trouble, she would have to prepare herself.

She wanted to be highly skilled by the time her father took her to the Temple of Trials. Being the daughter of a Great Sage and born with magic, her parents had discussed that she would be putting her heart to the test when she was of age. "Every Sage trained at the Temple," her father told her. "There hasn't been a single one who hasn't passed, and I know you'll be one of the best pupils The Great Sage Solomon has ever seen,"

Esther was excited, waiting anxiously for the day to come. She wondered if other sages would go there. She remembered a rumor that a Great Sage from Hamelin had taken his child to the Temple, claiming his magic was growing in power and it was time for him to put it to the test- and the child had only turned five! She wondered if her powers would grow too, so that she would master the Trials at a young age…

But for now, she decided to use her spare time to play. _I'll be a Great Sage someday, too. _She thought as she looked at her doll, practicing braiding its hair up, but leaving two strands hanging down the side of its face. _And I'll use my magic only for good, and help people who've been hurt by Shadar. I'll show him I'm not scared._

A shadow loomed over her just then and she turned around, gasping. A boy of 10 was standing right behind her. He had short black hair, wearing a long-sleeved robe over a pair of baggy pants, and a brown band tied around his head. "Nice doll, Esther, mind if I play with it?" he teased, taking the doll from her.

Esther stood up. "Give it back, Omar!" she snapped. "Otherwise I'll summon Gogo!"

"Ha! Go ahead, my Ruff, Razar, will eat him to bits!" Omar summoned his familiar, who snarled at Esther.

Nonetheless, Esther summoned Gogo, having him attack. Razar attacked as well, doing more damage to the Drongo than vice-versa. Esther gasped, summoning her familiar back before he could pass out.

"Ha! Figured you'd chicken-out," Omar dangled the doll in front of Esther. "Kind of a lame move, for someone who claims to be so brave!"

Esther leaped for her doll, but the bully evaded her. "Backing down doesn't mean I'm not brave. My father says it's a form of wisdom!"

"Oooh, so now you're all wise, huh? That's only something cowards say! And if you're so wise, stop me from doing this!" Omar shoved her back, then threw the doll down and smashed it with his foot.

Esther clenched her fists, running towards him, but Razar leaped forth and pinned her to the ground, making her cry out. Omar only laughed, leaning over her. "Get him off!"

"Only if you admit you're a wimp! Go on, do it…"

Esther held her tongue, despite the Ruff was snarling right in her face. She was the daughter of a Great Sage! She wasn't going to cause any shame upon her father by giving in to a bully's demands!

"No, huh? Well in that case… Razar, use _Fling-Flame_!"

Esther gasped- such a move was only mastered by Level 8 Ruffs! But she couldn't wonder how he mastered such a move so quick, she was about to get beaten!

*Thonk! Thonk!*

A pair of rocks were chucked at the Ruff's head just then. It turned, forgetting the command Omar gave, looking to see who assaulted it.

*Bam!*

There was a red blur, as suddenly a massive fist struck the Ruff, knocking him off Esther. She looked, seeing a Hurly standing there for a moment before quickly disappearing into the chest of a stranger- a young 19-year-old wearing ragged clothes and sporting messy hair. "You know, it's not very gentleman-like to be assaulting little girls," the stranger said to Omar, walking forth.

Omar stood his ground, Razar at his side, growling. "And who the hell are you?!" he snapped.

"Just a passerby, no one you should be concerned about… That is, unless you don't go home and leave this young girl alone,"

"Ah, back off, creep! Otherwise, my Ruff will rip your throat out!"

The stranger only scoffed, then reached into his pocket… pulling out a gun. Esther gasped, taking a step back, and Omar flinched. "I guess your parents never taught you to watch your mouth. I suggest you do as I say... or I'll be teaching you a lesson in common decency,"

Omar took off running, his Ruff at his side. "MOM!" he was shouting.

Esther gasped, seeing the stranger pointing his gun at Omar. "Don't-!" she yelped.

*Bang!*

She watched as a hook shot out of the gun, retracting back quick… and holding her doll. "Little rotter forgot to drop this," the stranger said, tossing the doll back to her.

Esther hugged the doll tight, and turned back to the stranger, only to see he was walking away. "Wait!" she called, running after him, but he disappeared around the corner. "Hmm? Where'd he go?"

"Esther!" called a voice, as Rashaad came forth. "Are you alright? I heard a gun-shot from inside the palace. What are you doing in the street, this late?"

"This man… he saved me from that bully, Omar. I was about to thank him, but he disappeared,"

"I see. Perhaps he will come back, then you can thank him. Right now, we must return home. Queen Lowlah has informed me there has been a thief running loose in the city- according to the guards, he's armed with a gun- one that shoots out a hook that steals objects," The Great Sage looked around. "And it sounds like he struck again. Come my child,"

Esther held her doll tight, walking home with her father. She looked back over her shoulder, curiously. _A thief? _She questioned, and wondered if she would ever meet him again.

*0*

Said stranger sat hidden inside a cart, as it was being hauled across the desert towards Ding Dong Dell. He wiped his forehead, letting out a sigh of relief, having come close to being caught in the desert city. Clearly, his reputation was starting to spread, ever since he took up thieving to get by. Oh well, a living was a living.

He would have been out of the city sooner, if he hadn't noticed that young girl being harassed by that bratty kid. Normally, he would have turned away and gone on with his own business, leaving the situation for someone else to handle- after all, he was raised to learn to handle situations like that himself, back in Hamelin.

Something about that girl made him interfere, however. Watching them, he noticed how brave she was acting, despite she didn't have much experience, reminding him of someone else…

"_I refuse to say 'goodbye'. Lets just say… until next time,"_

Those words echoed through his head, as he vaguely began to remember some strangers from his past… who came from the future…

"Hey, you! What are you doing in my cart?!" came a shout, as the merchant riding the cart turned around and spotted him.

"Yipe!" the thief yelped, leaping out and sprinting across the desert. A walk down memory lane would have to wait- as long as he was on the run, there was no time to glance at the past.

*0*

**A/N: So, what do you guys think? I figured this would be during a time before Swaine became a jerk. But, if he still seemed OOC, I apologize.**

**Hopefully I get better at this. **

**Reviews are welcome! …Flames are not.**


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